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Tag: malcolm x

  • Convicted Killers of Malcolm X Exonerated

    Convicted Killers of Malcolm X Exonerated

    The recent exoneration of 83-year-old Muhammad Aziz and the late Khalil Islam for the 1965 assassination of human rights icon Malcolm X is a 55 year long-delayed judicial affirmation of their innocence. Formerly known as Norman 3X Butler and Thomas 15X Johnson, Aziz and Islam were members of the Nation of Islam and, like many in the organization, wanted to see Malcolm X dead because of their insistence that he had betrayed the trust of Elijah Muhammad. But they were innocent of the murder, and the exoneration came after the Manhattan District Attorney’s office and lawyers for the defendants engaged in a 22-month investigation to review evidence in the case.

    The reinvestigation of the men’s convictions was predicated on previously withheld evidence pointing to their innocence. The legal efforts to exonerate the two men were bolstered by the tireless efforts of historians, researchers, lawyers, and those who knew the two men who were tenacious in maintaining their innocence for more than five decades. The pressure to reopen the investigation reached a crescendo after the airing of the highly acclaimed Emmy-nominated Netflix documentary Who Killed Malcolm X in February 2020. Decades-long exhaustive research and exclusive interviews by historian and longtime Malcolm X admirer Abdur Rahman Muhammad provided the impetus for the documentary. The film revealed the roles played by the New York City Police Department, the FBI, and the Nation of Islam in facilitating the killing of Malcolm X and the perpetuation of the false narrative about the tragic event.

    I first met Abdur Rahman Muhammad one evening decades ago in Washington, D.C. on Georgia Avenue NW in front of the ever-popular Pyramid Bookstore. He was a new convert to Islam at the time and was engaged in a heated exchange with 3 or 4 Nation of Islam members about their unorthodox beliefs. My instinct was to try to diffuse the situation by extracting the fiery Abdur Rahman from that space before something bad happened. He is not a neophyte to Malcolm research. I believe his research about Malcolm X and the Nation of Islam began sometime around this event a few decades ago.

    Prosecutorial and Law Enforcement Misconduct

    Many past and present social justice figures, politicians, and community leaders and influencers have been victims of prosecutorial and law enforcement misconduct. These manufactured convictions have had the effect of undermining respect of, and confidence in, the judicial system. This system has been proved to be fundamentally flawed because of structural racism as well as inequitable dispensation of justice based on the financial capacity of defendants to “purchase” justice. There have been more than 2,500 known exonerations in the United States since 1989. At least 190 individuals formerly on death row have been exonerated. If the recent exoneration of two men who served two decades in prison for assassinating Malcolm X teaches us anything, it should be that not everyone convicted in U.S. courts is necessarily guilty of a crime. A good example is the case of Imam Jamil Abdullah Al-Amin. Like other political prisoners in the U.S., he is a victim of slow death by medical neglect. He was convicted of murdering a Cobb County deputy sheriff in 2002 and wounding a second deputy even though his supporters’ and defense attorneys’ belief is that the evidence was illegitimate. Before the conclusion of Al-Amin’s trial, another man, Otis Jackson, confessed to the shooting. The shooting victims both testified (the deputy who died described the assailant before his death) that the shooter was 5 feet 8 inches tall with gray eyes. Imam Jamil is 6 feet 5 inches with brown eyes. Otis Jackson fits the description given by the officers.

    The Brazen Killing of Malcolm X

    The assassination of Malcolm X in Harlem’s Audubon Ballroom was brazenly carried out by a team of Nation of Islam assassins in a crowded hall of 400 people. Present were individuals curious about Malcolm X’s post-NOI direction and there were his ardent supporters as well, including his wife Betty Shabazz and four of their young daughters. The assassins made no attempt to disguise their identities or devise an elaborate escape plan. They correctly surmised that the shock effect of their bold actions would so terrorize potential witnesses that few, if any, would provide positive identification of the murderers. Thomas Hagan, also known at the time of the assassination as Talmadge X Hayer and currently going by Mujahid Abdul Halim, was captured by some of Malcolm’s followers, brutally beaten, and shot in the leg as he attempted to escape the Ballroom.

    Thomas Hagan was arrested on the scene that fateful day by New York City police officers and charged with the murder of Malcolm X, El Hajj Malik El Shabazz. Two days later, Norman 3X Butler and Thomas 15X Johnson were arrested and charged with Malcolm’s assassination. During his 1966 trial, Hagan informed the court that neither Norman 3X Butler nor Thomas 15X Johnson participated in the assassination. The court rejected consideration of this newly revealed information, resulting in all three of the accused being found guilty and sentenced to 20 years to life in prison.

    Hagan initially denied his involvement, but during the trial confessed to the crime. At the time, Hagan did not disclose the identities of his accomplishes. In 1977, when Butler and Johnson unsuccessfully appealed their convictions, Hagan submitted sworn affidavits once again denying Butler’s and Johnson’s participation in the assassination and disclosing the names of four of his actual partners in Malcolm’s assassination. The names provided to the court by Hagan were Ben X Thomas (aka Ben Thompson), Leon X Davis, William X, and Wilbur X, all members of Newark’s Temple No. 25. The full names of the killers were Benjamin Thomas, Leon Davis, William Bradley, and Wilbur Mckinley. The four hitmen were never charged with the murder of Malcolm X. William Bradley, who was identified as the man sitting in the front row during those fateful moments of Malcolm’s assassination, sprang from his seat and with one shotgun blast to the left side of the chest of the fallen martyr, ended the life of one of the most influential figures of the 20th century.

    Bradley was a career criminal after Malcolm’s murder, committing robberies, aggravated assault, and drug offenses. Changing his name to Al-Mustafa Shabazz, he married a prominent political activist in Newark, New Jersey. He curiously even appeared in a political advertisement in Newark for then mayoral candidate Corey Booker. The ad was pulled after a New York Times article exposed Shabazz’s likely connection to the murder of Malcolm X. The other three alleged unindicted murderers all lived their lives virtually hiding in plain sight.

    Many Knew the Identities of the Murderers

    In 1978, I was assigned to work in Southern Alabama on union organizing campaigns. One of my union co-workers was the sister of former heavyweight boxing champion Joe Frazier. Over meals, the organizers would mostly discuss campaign strategies and politics. Frazier’s sister was amused that I was naïve enough at the time to believe that Thomas 15X Johnson and Norman 3X Butler were the assassins of Malcolm X. She would laugh and say that every fool knew that two of the actual murderers lived in her adopted home of Patterson, New Jersey and that she knew the names of the other two and how they got their “daily bread.” As my fascination with Malcolm grew over the years, I met and developed different levels of friendships with several of his close associates from the NOI, Muslim Mosque, Inc, and Organization of Afro-American Unity, including Dr. Betty Shabazz.

    Among those willing to discuss the issue, there was unanimity of opinion that Butler and Johnson were not part of the team of assassins who killed Malcolm X. In 1975, I gave a lecture on Islam to a large gathering of inmates at Lewisburg Federal Penitentiary in Pennsylvania. I was amazed when one of the brothers informed me that one of the convicted killers of Malcolm X, Mujahid Abdul Halim, was in the audience and had been temporarily transferred for either medical treatment or protective custody. I had no desire to meet him.

    Mujahid Abdul Halim was paroled from New York state prison in 1985. Muhammad Abdul Aziz was also paroled in 1985. Khalil Islam was released from prison in 1987 and died in 2009. According to the meticulous research in the 1992 book The Judas Factor: The Plot to Kill Malcolm X by Karl Evanzz, Malcolm told his confidante and supporter James Shabazz on February 16, 1965, that, “I have the names of five Black Muslims assigned to kill me. I will announce them at the meeting [February 21, 1965].” Malcolm did not live long enough to reveal the names of his suspected killers. Eyewitnesses reported that Betty Shabazz took a blood-soaked piece of paper believed to be the list containing those names from her husband’s coat pocket as he lay on the stage of the Audubon. Before his martyrdom, Malcolm also expressed to his close associates that he was going to stop saying that it was the Nation of Islam that was trying to kill him. He knew they did not have the reach to try to poison him in the Cairo Hilton Hotel restaurant or to influence the French government to forbid his deplaning in France on his final overseas trip mere weeks before his assassination. So, others, more powerful, were also intending to take him out.

    There is a hadith that states when Allah SWT loves someone, He declares that love to angels who announce that love throughout the heavens. Allah SWT then places the love of that person in the hearts of humans so that he or she is loved on earth. Malik Shabazz, Malcolm X, has been a beloved figure worldwide for over half a century. His life lessons and prescriptions for the establishment of social justice movements have transcended the boundaries of his generation, race, nationality, and political beliefs. Although he was only 39 years old and had been a practitioner of mainstream Sunni Islam for just 11 months before he died, Malcolm X has influenced millions worldwide to embrace Islam. It seems ironic that 55 years after his martyrdom that a documentary streaming on Netflix, and the exoneration of two people falsely convicted of his murder, would ignite for another generation a newly found interest in America’s Muslim martyr.

    A Larger Perspective on the Exonerations

    The exoneration of Muhammad Aziz and Khalil Islam for the assassination of Malcolm X is a long-overdue remedy for the gross miscarriage of justice committed against them. Yet, the national and international publicity that highlighted their two decades of false imprisonment and excruciating 55-year delay before being cleared of all charges can never remedy the hardship and pain suffered by the two men and their family members. Nor is it likely that other victims of prosecutorial and law enforcement misconduct who are currently languishing in prisons today will directly benefit from this high-profile exoneration. The United States is a carceral nation that has intertwined racial capitalism [“the process of deriving social and economic value from the racial identity of another person” (Leong)] and structural racism. Thus, the U.S. has the largest prison population of any country, with currently 2.1 million citizens incarcerated, according to the Pew Research Center. According to The Color of Justice Sentencing Project statistics, African Americans are incarcerated in state prisons at a rate of five times that of Whites, the most disproportionate representation of a single racial or ethnic group anywhere on earth. The U.S. also has the largest number of for-profit privately-owned prisons in any country.

    Nationally, one in 81 African American adults in the U.S. is serving time in prison. Since exonerations are granted on the state level, it is highly improbable that states will be motivated to accelerate their own pace of evidentiary review of convictions because of New York state murder convictions from half a century ago that ultimately were vacated and the convicted men exonerated. The efforts of groups like the Innocence Project to investigate dubious felony murder conviction cases are meritorious and valuable. However, a simultaneous movement to overhaul the criminal justice system is essential to minimize, with the ultimate objective of eliminating, convictions based on random arrests, witness tampering and coercion, and exclusion of African Americans and Latinos from jury pools. Nonetheless, the exoneration of Muhammad Aziz and Khalil Islam and the resultant correction of the historical record involving the assassination of Malcolm X, Malik Shabazz, cannot be overstated.

    For additional information, the following books are recommended:
    The Autobiography of Malcolm X: As Told to Alex Haley
    The Judas Factor: The Assassination of Malcolm X, by Karl Evanzz
    The Dead Are Arising, The Life of Malcolm X, by Les Payne and Kamara Payne
    On The Side of My People: A Religious Life of Malcolm X, by Louis A. DeCaro, Jr.

  • The Cry of the Bugle: Stand Back and Stand By

    The Cry of the Bugle: Stand Back and Stand By

    As early as 1758, some variation of a brass bugle was used by military commanders in England, and later in the United States, to clearly communicate commands on the battlefield. The bugle’s distinct-sounding cry could be heard far above the noise and confusion of combat. That, of course, was prior to the advent of aerial bombings, thunderous-sounding ground weapon blasts, and megaton field explosions. Soldiers understood the bugle’s non-verbal communications initiated by their field leaders to retreat or advance, fire or stop firing. Like military commanders on the battlefield, politicians often utilize a form of political messaging that uniquely communicates with their supporters while potentially not generating significant attention or opposition— this is dog-whistle politicking. During former president Richard Nixon’s successful 1968 presidential campaign, Lee Atwater, a Republican party strategist at the time, was credited with devising Nixon’s “Southern strategy” of playing dog-whistle politics by appealing to Southern voters with coded language that encouraged and inflamed anti-Black attitudes and perspectives. Nixon appealed to Southern racist voters not by referring to Blacks using racial epithets, but by using coded expressions such as “prone to crime” or “threats to the Southern way of life.”

    Refusing to Condemn: ‘Good People on Both Sides’

    At an August 2017 Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, White supremacists, neo-Nazis, Klansmen, and militias marched through the streets carrying burning tiki torches and confederate and Nazi flags while shouting racist and anti-Semitic slogans. One counter protestor was killed, and 19 others were injured after being rammed by a vehicle driven by one of the Unite the Right rally participants. President Trump refused to condemn the White supremacists and neo-Nazis for their hate-filled words and violent actions even after being pressured to do so by numerous journalists, elected officials, and political commentators. Trump’s response was to shockingly declare that there were “good people on both sides” at the Charlottesville rally.

    Since his election in 2016, Trump has failed to distance himself from the racist rhetoric of some elected officials or to condemn the intimidation tactics and even physical attacks against Blacks, Hispanics, and non-European immigrants by law enforcement officers and White supremacists. Additionally, this president often uses false and incendiary statements to mischaracterize the efforts of opposition politicians, critics of his social policies, and peaceful protestors. Classifying his detractors as far-left extremists, socialists, or members of antifa is commonplace for Trump. Antifa is a contraction of the word anti-fascist. It is a loose association of individuals who share in some opposition tactics against fascism, not a structured organization with an official membership and designated leaders.

    An Enduring Legacy of Hate

    For all of Trump’s bluster and daily dissemination of misinformation, his symbiotic relationship with gun toting organized militia and other White supremacist groups may be one of his most enduring legacies and a continuing threat to the national security of the United States long after he leaves office. In the first presidential debate of the 2020 campaign, debate moderator Chris Wallace repeatedly asked Trump if he was “willing to denounce White supremacist and militia groups.” The pointed question seemed relevant considering his past refusal to condemn the recent violent actions of such groups and individuals in Kenosha, Wisconsin and across the country that have threatened domestic security across the nation and contributed to a culture of violence. Demonstrations in Kenosha protested the shooting by a White police officer of 29-year-old African-America Jacob Blake. He was shot seven times in the back while his horrified children sat in the rear seat of his car. During the protests, two protestors were shot and killed, and a third person seriously injured, by a 17-year-old, self-professed gun-loving, uber supporter of Blue Lives Matter. Kyle Rittenhouse was driven to the protest from his home in Antioch, Illinois by his mother. After arriving on the scene, Kyle walked pass Kenosha police officers, without being stopped, carrying a loaded AK-47 assault rifle, the weapon used in his murderous assault.

    Trump asked debate moderator Chris Wallace to identify a specific group for him to denounce. Presidential candidate Joe Biden interjected with the specific name, “Proud Boys,” one of many militia, White supremacist, and anti-Muslim groups, like Boogaloo, that have emerged on the national scene since the ascendancy of Trump to the White House. His response to the Proud Boys prompt was, “Stand back and stand by.” After months of refusing to denounce racially-motivated hate crimes by White supremacist and militia groups, the President’s debate rejoinder appears to be a dog-whistle call for those groups to lay low for the time being, but to stay ready to be called into action by the President. Only Donald Trump knows the intent of these comments. What is known, though, is that Trump is the only U.S. president in the 20th and 21st centuries who has overtly, and with reckless calculation, incited armed White supremacist groups and antigovernment militias. These groups are perceived by millions of Americans as likely to rise up in violent protest if Trump loses the election. The political history of the United States is replete with contentious presidential campaigns, but never has a sitting commander in chief, before Trump, openly cast doubt about cooperating in a peaceful transfer of power if the American people vote him out of office.

    Number of Militia Groups Skyrockets

    Racial terrorism has unfortunately enveloped American history since the founding of the republic 244 years ago. Notorious White supremacist domestic terrorist organizations like the Ku Klux Klan, founded in 1865 in Polanski, Tennessee, were the forerunners for acts of organized terror against Blacks, Jews, and until several decades ago, Catholics. According to the Counter Extremism Project’s report on White supremacy, there are currently 199 known White supremacist groups in the country today. While the modern-day militia movement does not necessarily express itself in racist language, the election of the first Black president in 2008, not coincidentally, saw the number of militia groups in the country skyrocket 813 percent, from 149 to 1,360 by 2012, according to the Southern Poverty Law Center. While their stated reason to exist may not be White supremacy, their beliefs and actions have become more closely aligned with White nationalist extremists. Militia groups in the U.S. share a near-obsession about the right to own weapons, increasingly high-powered guns with no discernible civilian use. Protection against federal encroachment over the rights of States and individuals is also exceedingly high on their agenda. The nation’s militia groups are typically anti-immigration and self-avowed protectors of America’s southern borders with Mexico.

    President Donald Trump’s open flirtation with militia groups and White supremacists for his own perceived political gain is a disastrous occurrence that will militate against the unity of the American people for years to come. A plot by at least six members of a Michigan militia group to kidnap and possibly murder Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer was recently foiled by the FBI. According to an FBI spokesman, the men were discussing murdering “tyrants.” Governor Whitmer became a target for this group after she implemented strict social distancing and other measures in response to the coronavirus pandemic. Virginia Governor Ralph Northern was also a potential target for kidnapping by a militia group because of lockdown measures that he implemented for his state. The militia group objected to the lockdown’s harmful effect on businesses. Both Democratic governors were verbally attacked by Trump for their positions. These militia groups have been emboldened by the endorsement of their positions by Trump. The consequences of this alliance will likely negatively reverberate across this land long after Trump is out of office.

    Malcolm X: ‘America Needs to Understand Islam’

    According to Islamic guidelines, we should define the success and prosperity of a nation by its moral might, not its military might; and by the well-being of all its citizens, not the privilege and wealth of a few. Most of all, we would define our exceptionalism as that of faithful and dedicated pursuit of justice in our own nation and around the world. And through submission to the guidelines for society established by Allah (SWT) in the Qur’an and the Sunnah, established tradition, of Prophet Muhammad ibn Abdullah (peace be upon him), we might narrow the political divisions and heal the racial wounds.

    In the words of Malcolm X, America’s illustrious martyr, “America needs to understand Islam, because this is the one religion that erases from its society the race problem. Throughout my travels in the Muslim world, I have met, talked to, and even eaten with people who in America would have been considered white — but the white attitude was removed from their minds by the religion of Islam. I have never before seen sincere and true brotherhood practiced by all colors together, irrespective of their color… I could see from this, that perhaps if white Americans could accept the Oneness of God, then perhaps, too, they could accept in reality the Oneness of Man — and cease to measure, and hinder, and harm others in terms of their ‘differences’ in color.”

  • The Matter of Black Lives

    The Matter of Black Lives

    Every July 4th in the United States, citizens rush to the streets and parks to delight in the great spectacle of colorful and thunderous fireworks celebrating the anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, a document declaring the 13 original American colonies’ demands for justice and independence from the British Empire. Within the pages of this famous document are the following universal words: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

    It is unfair to generalize or suggest that all police officers are racist or quick to pull the trigger. The fact is that while law enforcement is crucial to maintaining law and order, African-American communities across the nation must feel confident that the police will deal with them fairly and humanely.

    These words, written in 1776, which profess to be true of “all men,” have unfortunately not been granted in full to everyone, especially the African-American community. Although race relations in the United States have certainly progressed leaps and bounds since the dark days of slavery, racial tensions in 2016 seem to be at a boiling point. And the notion of racial equality for all is more of a dream than a reality. The Black Lives Matter movement is currently at the forefront of the rallying cry to highlight injustices against the black community in America.

    Devaluing Life

    To begin with, it goes without saying that black lives absolutely do matter — they always have and always will — as do all lives, including blue lives (police officers). Islam rejects the notion that individuals or nations are superior because of color or race, or other arbitrary distinctions. Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) said in his final sermon: “All mankind is from Adam and Eve; an Arab has no superiority over a non-Arab nor a non-Arab any superiority over an Arab; also a white has no superiority over a black nor a black any superiority over a white, except by piety and good action.”

    Furthermore, life itself is sacred, and to kill anyone without lawful and moral cause is a travesty of justice. Allah (SWT) says in the Quran: “Whoever kills a person [unjustly]…it is as though he has killed all mankind. And whoever saves a life, it is as though he has saved all mankind” (Quran 5:32). Not only in America, but all around the world, whether on the battlefield or elsewhere, there is an unfortunate tendency to devalue the sanctity of life. This has been seen in the U.S. where some police officers have been found shooting and killing, rather than arresting, young unarmed black men. Likewise, around the world, innocent men, women, and children are viciously and senselessly slaughtered in the name of war. According to the Costs of War project at The Watson Institute for International and Public Affairs at Brown University, “Approximately 210,000 Afghan, Iraqi, and Pakistani civilians have died violent deaths as a direct result of the wars.” This is only one region, but this ongoing problem of devaluing life in general, and the lives and blood of black and brown people in particular, is at the heart of the movement called Black Lives Matter.

    The Black Lives Matter Movement

    The Black Lives Matter organization was established in 2013, following the controversial death of unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin who was gunned down by neighborhood watch volunteer, George Zimmerman. Trayvon was walking home after purchasing snacks at a convenience store in Sanford, Florida. When Zimmerman was ultimately acquitted of all charges, cries of foul play, protests, and demands for justice ensued.

    According to Alicia Garza on BlackLivesMatter.com, “I created #BlackLivesMatter with Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi, two of my sisters, as a call to action for Black people after 17-year-old Trayvon Martin was posthumously placed on trial for his own murder and the killer, George Zimmerman, was not held accountable for the crime he committed. It was a response to the anti-Black racism that permeates our society and also, unfortunately, our movements. Black Lives Matter is an ideological and political intervention in a world where Black lives are systematically and intentionally targeted for demise. It is an affirmation of Black folks’ contributions to this society, our humanity, and our resilience in the face of deadly oppression.”

    Two other nationally covered cases added fuel to the fire and seemed to further ignite the strength and breadth of the Black Lives Matter movement. The first of these occurred when unarmed 18-year-old Michael Brown was shot on February 12, 2014 in broad daylight by officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri, after being stopped on suspicion of burglary. Some eyewitnesses asserted that at some point Brown held up his hands in surrender, but a Department of Justice report concluded that Brown likely didn’t have his hands up when he was shot and many of the witnesses were ultimately found to be not credible or admitted they lied. A second DOJ report, however, investigated the Ferguson police department and found broad-based racial bias, and routine violation of the constitutional rights of African-American citizens. After Wilson’s acquittal, Ferguson, Missouri was a hot spot for protests, and unfortunately there were instances of looting and the burning down of stores. Another case which drew national attention and outrage was the chokehold death of Eric Garner on July 17, 2014, for allegedly selling cigarettes without a license. He is heard pleading, “I can’t breathe” as he is restrained. The medical examiner found his death was due to chokehold, chest compression, and poor health.

    The question of injustice in these cases has to do with the fact that the ultimate punishment of death was outrageous, considering the circumstances of these incidents: walking down the street after purchasing snacks — Trayvon Martin; being suspected of shop lifting — Michael Brown; and selling cigarettes without a license — Eric Garner.

    The Difference the Black Lives Matter Movement Has Made

    As in past civil rights/social justice movements such as Gandhi’s Indian independence movement and Martin Luther King Jr.’s civil rights movement, civil disobedience and protests have been an effective means to garner the attention of the powers that be, and effect permanent change. The more protesters demand change and justice, the more political leaders take heed.

    Khury Petersen-Smith had this to say about the BLM movement in an article in the International Socialist Review entitled “Black Lives Matter–A new movement takes shape”: “In a matter of weeks, the (BLM) movement shattered what remained of the notion of a ‘post-racial’ America and reoriented the entire national conversation on anti-Black racism. The movement follows in a tradition of Black struggles in the United States whose impacts far exceed the numbers of people involved and go well beyond their point of origin …The strength of today’s Ferguson-inspired movement can be gauged in a number of ways. For one, the movement has been militant from its inception. One of the movement’s most popular refrains in street protests and social media is ‘shut it down!’ Beyond a rhetorical slogan, this has found expression in the real world as activists in dozens of cities have marched onto highways to disrupt traffic; linked arms across railroad tracks to stop trains; sat down in urban intersections; delayed sporting events; and temporarily occupied shopping malls, major retail stores, police departments, and city halls.” The growing lack of trust between the African-American communities and law enforcement has been a central focus of the BLM struggle.

    Justice From and Toward Law Enforcement

    Disappointment and outrage against law enforcement has been at the heart of the Black Lives Matter movement, and the fact that some police officers have been caught on video using excessive or deadly force when apprehending suspects of color has given credence to ongoing allegations of police brutality.

    But it is unfair to generalize or suggest that all police officers are racist or quick to pull the trigger. The fact is that while law enforcement is crucial to maintaining law and order, African-American communities across the nation must feel confident that the police will deal with them fairly and humanely. Certainly officers must be able to protect themselves while policing the community. But they must also be trained and predisposed to de-escalating rather than ratchetting up tense situations. They need to be trained to avoid stereotyping, profiling, or pre-judging individuals or circumstances based on any sort of racial, religious, or socio-economic class bias. The tragic consequence of distrust and anger toward law enforcement – when it is not adequately addressed and therefore allowed to grow and fester — is the horrific targeting of police such as the murder of five officers in Dallas, Texas in July of this year.

    Islam demands that justice be served to all parties and on all sides of an issue: “O you who believe! Stand out firmly for justice, as witnesses to Allah, even as against yourselves, or your parents, or your kin, and whether it be [for or against] rich or poor: for Allah can best protect both. ….and if you distort or decline to do justice, verily Allah is well- acquainted with all that you do” (Quran 4: 135).

    Educational Inequity

    The issues of discrimination, of social and economic inequities, that the black community in America faces is brought to the fore by the graphic violence and injustice of police brutality. Far too many African-Americans are in prison, and there is unequal and inferior education in the inner cities. Education is seen by many as the great equalizer—as an opportunity to reach one’s greatest potential, to climb the socio-economic ladder so as to achieve economic independence and success. When quality public education is lacking, serious questions of injustice can and should be raised. Seeking and acquiring education is critical in Islam, and was the theme of the first words revealed in the Quran: “Read in the name of your Lord who created. Created man, out of a clot of congealed blood. Read, and your Lord is the most Generous, Who taught by the pen, taught man that which he knew not” (Quran 96:1-5).

    Nearly 60 years after the 1954 landmark ruling in Brown v. the Board of Education, in which the U.S. Supreme Court declared public education is “a right which must be made available on equal terms,” racial inequities in school spending persist. An article entitled “Students of Color Still Receiving Unequal Education,” on Americanprogress.org, gives clear evidence that the historical problem of inequity in American education has not gone away. The article presents the following data to back up that claim:

    • Across the country schools spent $334 more on every white student than on every nonwhite student
    • Mostly white schools (90 percent or more white) spent $733 more per student than mostly nonwhite schools (90 percent or more nonwhite)
    • The United States spends $293 less per year on students in mostly nonwhite schools than on students in all other schools. That’s 7 percent of the median per-pupil spending.

    Although slavery is thankfully a thing of the past, “justice for all” is still, unfortunately, an American dream unrealized. We need groups like the Black Lives Matter movement to keep such injustices in the forefront of our minds.

     Beyond Protests: A New Vision Towards Policy Change and Justice

    According to an article on NBCnews.com, entitled “Black Lives Matter Releases Policy Agenda,” the movement has taken serious and unified steps to communicate and document clear goals and demands for policy changes to support racial equality and social justice. The plan, “A Vision for Black Lives: Policy Demands for Black Power, Freedom and Justice,” is the work of more than 50 organizations nationwide, and advances six core demands and 40 policy priorities. According to Montague Simmons of Organization for Black Struggle and the Movement for Black Lives Policy Table: “Our grievances and solutions extend beyond the police killing of our people; state violence includes failing schools that criminalize our children, dwindling earning opportunities…., and so much more…That’s why we united, with a renewed energy and purpose, to put forth a shared vision of the world we want to live in.” The six core demands are as follows:

    • End the war on black people
    • Reparations for past and continuing harms
    • Divestment from the institutions that criminalize, cage and harm black people; and investment in the education, health and safety of black people
    • Economic justice for all and a reconstruction of the economy to ensure our communities have collective ownership, not merely access
    • Community control of the laws, institutions and policies that most impact us
    • Independent black political power and black self-determination in all areas of society

    Global Solidarity Between the BLM Movement and the Palestinian Struggle

    There is a shared longing for change within the Palestinian and African-American struggles for justice. In an article entitled “Black Lives Matter Activists Declare Solidarity with Palestine” at in these times.com, it is noted that as far back as 1970, black activists published a full-page ad in the New York Times titled, “An Appeal by Black Americans Against United States Support of the Zionist Government of Israel.” This ad was signed by fifty-six writers, educators, and activists, and the first paragraph reads: “We, the black American signatories of this advertisement, are in complete solidarity with our Palestinian brothers and sisters, who, like us, are struggling for self-determination and an end to racist oppression.”

    The BLM platform of 2016 states: “The US military accounts for over 50 percent of discretionary federal spending, a total of 598.5 Billion dollars spent annually, as compared to 70 billion spent on education, 66 billion spent on healthcare, 63.2 billion spent on housing and 29.1 billion spent on social security and unemployment. In addition, approximately 3 billion dollars in US aid is allocated to Israel, a state that practices systematic discrimination and has maintained a military occupation of Palestine for decades… In the years since September 11 and the US-driven ‘global war on terror’, US military spending has increased by 50 percent. This war has led to the killing of 4 million civilians in the Middle East. US arms and military corporations have made billions of dollars in profit off of waging disaster and destabilization in the Middle East, while increasing western control over the land and resources of the region. In South America and the Caribbean the war on terror has combined with a long-running war on drugs intensifying forced migrations, land grabs, and political disenfranchisement. The war on terror, has not made us safer and has only increased hopelessness as our fears are realized.” The call for justice by the BLM movement, in conjunction with social justice organizations around the world, will continue until social, economic, and political justice objectives are achieved.

     The Need for the BLM Movement in America

    The Black Lives Matter movement and other civil rights and social justice campaigns in America and abroad are critical in bringing the existence of inequality to the fore and into the political discourse, and in demanding change. We can no longer turn a blind eye to attitudes of discrimination, racism, or rancid and retrogressive notions of the inferiority of persons of color. The United states is said to be a “land of opportunity,” and all people deserve an equal opportunity to “pursue happiness.” Justice and peace go hand in hand–where there is no justice, then there will likewise be no peace.

    The words of Martin Luther King Jr. in his “I have a Dream” speech still ring true: “There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, ‘When will you be satisfied?’ We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until ‘justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream.’”

    Until education is equal, job opportunity is equal, and the police and courts treat all men and women equal—the Black Lives Matter Movement will remain necessary to lead the rallying cry against the systemic attitudes, policies, and behaviors that oppress African-Americans and other people of color.

    As the Quran teaches, humanity is one family—and there will never be universal peace until all of our brothers and sisters are treated with justice.

    “O mankind, We have created you from a male and a female and have made you into nations and tribes for you to know one another. Truly, the noblest of you with God is the most pious. Truly, God is All-Knowing, All-Aware” (Quran 49:13).

  • Model for Civic Engagement – Dar al-Noor Masjid (MAV) in Manassas, VA

    Model for Civic Engagement – Dar al-Noor Masjid (MAV) in Manassas, VA

    Civic engagement for America’s Masajid could not be more crucial than now. America is facing challenges that can only be overcome by propelling the voices of reason into public and civic life and driving the voices of bigotry and closed- mindedness out of the public spotlight. We are facing the public rise of anti-Islamic sentiment while some of the country’s political leadership, both at the local and state levels and in Washington, D.C., have become detached from reality. Consequently, the safety and security of our families have become a growing concern for everyone. Muslim-Americans must engage in the civic arena in order to ensure, by Allah’s permission and will, that we contribute to the betterment of America, something that we, and all fair and decent citizens, want for ourselves and for our children.

    With civic engagement, your Masjid will have a voice in government decisions both big and small; your Masjid can achieve solutions for issues in the community; and your Masjid can do its part to ensure social justice and equality for all – with Allah’s guidance and help. Muslim-Americans’ civic engagement with their communities and our participation in the political process is a mutually beneficial affair. Engaging with our elected and public officials guarantees that the voices of Muslim-Americans are heard, especially on topics such as presenting accurate information about Islam, countering terrorism and violence in our communities, and finding sensible solutions to community issues.

    The Muslim Association of Virginia (MAV) has, in fact, been active in the civic arena for some 16 years now. Alhamdulillah, MAV has been successful in achieving major accomplishments for our community including the successful defeat of the anti-Sharia legislation in the Virginia Congress; the introduction and passing of a Halal bill in Virginia to regulate the labeling, identification, and sale of Halal products; lobbying for legislation granting students a religious holiday for Eid; and active voter registration which resulted in registering over 200 voters during Ramadan this year.

    MAV has identified some crucial steps and activities in a successful civic engagement program, and encourages all Masajid and Muslim organizations who have not already done so, to develop their own civic engagement program. Some of the steps and activities include:

    Set Up Voter Registration

    Your primary leverage with elected officials is demonstrating that you represent a large group of voters. In order to effectively represent your Masjid, you must ensure that its members are registered to vote. There are two ways to accomplish this goal: (1) your Masjid can set up its own voter registration team with registration tables at Jumu’ah prayers; or (2) you can bring in an outside organization that focuses on getting voters registered.

    Provide a Forum for Community Engagement

    The Masjid is a perfect space for school board or town hall meetings, and for debates between local, regional, and even national candidates. Not only does this benefit your community by bringing the information directly to your Masjid, but this also allows some non-Muslim members of the community an opportunity to set foot inside a Masjid for the first time in their lives. That opportunity to introduce community members of other faiths to your Masjid and their Muslim neighbors is critical to the success of your civic engagement program.

    Assist Homeless Shelters

    Show your community how vital charity is in Islam. Assist with food drives, help find shelter for families in need, visit the elderly at senior centers, become mentors/tutors for disadvantaged youth, volunteer at local schools or hospitals — your involvement in charity outside the Masjid demonstrates that you are dedicated to improving the community and, more importantly, that we care about our fellow citizens, Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

    Build a Relationship with Local Law Enforcement

    The security, good will, and community building that your Masjid receives from fostering a good relationship with local law enforcement is vital to the success of your civic engagement program. When a tragic event injures or takes the life of an officer protecting your community, be proactive about supporting the police station and the families of the officers. Your support of law enforcement events, memorials, and parades establishes a relationship of trust between the Masjid, its community, and local law enforcement. Inviting local law enforcement leaders to the Masjid is a great way to begin that relationship.

    Encourage Members of your Masjid to Get Involved

    Members of your Masjid should strive to serve on school boards, commissions, and civic associations, and to run for elected office. Having Muslims in those positions amplifies the voice of your Masjid and the Muslim community, from the grassroots level and up.

    Participate in Public Events

    Announce at your Masjid public events like parades and 4th of July celebrations and encourage attendance. If possible, provide transportation to such events to ensure turnout and that your community supports these events as a unified group. The more the wider community interacts with the members of your Masjid, the more successful your civic engagement program can, and will be, insha’Allah.

    Offer Elected Officials Speaking Time During Jumu’ah and Eid Prayers

    Invite local, state, and federal elected officials and candidates to speak at your Masjid. This benefits your Masjid in the following ways: 1) gives your members an opportunity to hear directly from officials and candidates; and 2) offers an opportunity for your members to speak directly to their elected official, asking questions to learn where that official stands on important issues. Set aside time (approximately 10-15 minutes) before the start of prayers to allow elected officials to speak to your community (for those officials who did not get to speak, acknowledge them and their attendance). It is vital that you make every effort to invite all candidates who are running for an elected office, regardless of party affiliation. Ensure that you are keeping a record of those invitations so that the non-profit status of your Masjid is protected and not placed in legal jeopardy.

    Support Sensible Elected Officials Regardless of Party Affiliation

    Do not engage with only one side of the political spectrum. Not every issue your Masjid encounters will be a shared concern of the major political party you (may) typically affiliate with. There are sensible elected officials in every party and it is important to have the opportunity to speak with them and raise issues, regardless of their political affiliation.

    Work Towards Common Goals

    When you engage an elected official, work towards achieving common goals rather than debating divisive issues. Your Masjid’s civic engagement program cannot solve every issue. Identify what issues are feasible for that elected official to accomplish and focus on those. Aggressively pursuing issues that the elected official is strongly opposed to, or where an agreement cannot be achieved, will usually result in little being accomplished and can burn rather than build bridges of understanding and cooperation. Choose your battles carefully.

    Organize with Others When Meeting Elected Officials

    Communicate with other Masajid, interfaith organizations, civic organizations, and local entities to encourage leaders from those organizations to attend meetings with elected officials alongside you. Showing unity and representation of a large voting bloc is important when speaking with elected officials. Don’t show up at the elected official’s office with a mob, however. Carefully choose leaders that represent a variety of organizations with goals and concerns in common with your Masjid.

    Know your Strengths and Abilities

    If you know you have large numerical or widespread support in the community – and can demonstrate or document it – strategically and tactically let officials know. Do not be hostile or overbearing at any time. Do not exaggerate your capabilities and strengths. Accentuate your good relations with other elected officials who support your position(s) and who may be allies to the particular official you are meeting with. Be organized in your presentations, making sure to highlight the key objectives or issues on your list.

    Establish Interfaith Engagement

    Reach out to other faith organizations in your area and work with them in all aspects of your civic engagement program. They likely already have some activities and strategies in place and may be willing to share what they have learned. And many faith organizations share similar values with Muslims. Remember, the more unity, the better!

    Promote on Social Media

    Remember that most Americans get their news and social views from what is on their social media feeds. Promote your Masjid and community events on social media and connect with other local organizations and your wider community.

    Determine the Intentions of Those Who You Engage With

    There are three reasons why another organization or an elected official is engaging with your Masjid:

    • They are focused on the best interests of the community
    • They are there for their own self-interest
    • They just need your Masjid for a photo opportunity
    • Know what you want to accomplish with those your Masjid engages with and focus your efforts on those who can produce positive results.

    Designate a Credible Spokesperson

    Your Masjid’s civic engagement program must have a credible spokesperson who can meet with elected officials, other organizations, and the wider community to successfully engage in the civic arena. The designated spokesperson does not need experience in politics; they just need to be able to accurately and effectively convey the community’s issues and messaging to elected officials.

    REMEMBER:

    In order for 501(c)(3) organizations to participate in civic political engagement, they must invite all candidates who are involved in an election and they must announce that they do not endorse or oppose any candidate.
    ——
    This article is compiled by Dar al-Noor Masjid (MAV) in Manassas, VA.

  • Al Servicio de la Comunidad Mexicana

    Al Servicio de la Comunidad Mexicana

    Hace solo cuatro años que el primer informe fue escrito acerca del Proyecto WhyIslam en México, pero mucho ha ocurrido desde entonces. La campaña mexicana comenzó con un deseo de repartir ropa islámica y literatura a una comunidad creciente en la Ciudad de México llamada Centro Al Hikmah. Siete organizaciones se unieron para contribuir a la causa, donando todo lo necesario. Durante su vacación, Nahela Morales, una conversa mexicana, distribuyó los artículos a la comunidad islámica en junio de 2012. El viaje tuvo tanto éxito que se convirtió en un esfuerzo anual.

    El interés aumentó cuando personalidades muy conocidas como Nouman Ali Khan, Omar Suleiman, y Boonaa Mohammed respaldaron los proyectos en México. En 2013, Nouman Ali Khan viajó al estado mexicano de Chiapas, al pueblo de San Cristobal de las Casas, como parte del segundo viaje de divulgación en México. Se conmovió tanto al ver las condiciones de vida tan pobres en las que viven las familias musulmanas indígenas, que decidió filmar un recorrido de un hogar típico, una estructura humilde hecha de paredes de madera cubiertas en plástico para que no entre la lluvia, un techo de chapa, y piso de tierra. El video fue lanzado en el canal de YouTube de WhyIslam y lo han visto más de 215.000 personas.

    La meta para ese año era comenzar planes para renovar la mezquita, Al Kauthar. A través del uso de medios de comunicación y campañas para recaudar fondos, Morales logró reunir más de $30.000 para el material islámico y alimentos a distribuir durante el mes de Ramadán, y el proyecto de renovación para la mezquita. Sin embargo, las metas futuras eran ofrecer apoyo continuo a las familias necesitadas en este sector y proporcionar renovaciones a sus casas. Esto provocó planes para establecer un capítulo de Mano Amiga para la Ayuda y el Desarrollo en México, o HHRD (Helping Hand for Relief and Development).

    En 2014 Boonaa Mohammed viajó con HHRD y un equipo de grabación a México para producir documentales que llaman la atención necesaria a esta causa.

    El Profeta Muhammad, la paz sea con él, una vez aconsejó a Aisha cuando ella deseaba ofrecer un regalo a un vecino; le dijo que debía dar “a aquel cuya puerta está más cerca a la tuya”. La idea de ayudar a nuestros hermanos y hermanas en México nace de este consejo, siendo que México es uno de solo dos países que comparte una frontera con los EE.UU. También es el país más grande de América Latina con la población musulmana más pequeña. Sin embargo, los musulmanes están creciendo en número y necesitan ayuda. Alhamdulillah, hemos sido bendecidos con la capacidad de ayudar a nuestros hermanos por lo que pedimos su continuo apoyo y oraciones.

    Esperamos que ustedes disfruten leer algunos relatos y artículos informativos de nuestros hermanos y hermanas de México y de habla hispana, y que también los recuerden en sus oraciones. YazakumAllahu khaiyran.

  • Serving the Mexican Community

    Serving the Mexican Community

    It was only four years ago that the first story about WhyIslam in Mexico was written, but many exciting events have transpired since then. The Mexican campaign began with a desire to deliver Islamic attire and literature to a growing community in Mexico City, Al Hikmah Center. Seven organizations joined forces to contribute to the cause, donating everything from Islamic CDs to siwaks. During her vacation, Nahela Morales, a Mexican convert, distributed the items to the Islamic community in June of 2012. The trip was so successful that it became an annual effort and each year expanded to cover more than five cities within the country.

    Interest really took off when well-known lecturers and personalities such as Nouman Ali Khan, Omar Suleiman, and Boonaa Mohammed endorsed the projects in Mexico. In 2013, Nouman Ali Khan even traveled to the Mexican state of Chiapas, to the Islamic village in San Cristobal de las Casas, as part of the second annual dawah trip to Mexico. He was so moved by the poor living conditions of the indigenous Muslim families that he filmed a video tour of a typical home, a humble structure with walls made of planks and plastic covering to keep out the rain, a tin rooftop, and a dirt floor. The video was released on WhyIslam’s YouTube channel and has over 215,000 views.

    The goal for that year was to begin plans to renovate the town’s masjid Al Kauthar. Through the use of social media and fundraising campaigns, Morales was able to gather over $30,000 for Islamic material and food for distribution during Ramadan, and the masjid renovation project. However, future goals were to offer continuous support to needy families in this sector and to provide home renovations and reconstructions. This sparked plans to launch Mexico Relief Project by Helping Hand for Relief and Development.

    In 2014 Boonaa Mohammed traveled with HHRD and film crews to Mexico to produce documentaries that bring the necessary attention to this cause.

    The Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, once advised Aisha when she desired to offer a gift to a neighbor, that she should give, “to the one whose door is nearer to you.” The idea of helping our brothers and sisters in Mexico is one that stems from neighborliness, in the sense that Mexico is one of only two countries which share a border with the US. It is also the largest Latin American country with the smallest Muslim population; however, the Muslims are growing in number and need assistance. Alhamdulillah, we have been blessed with the ability to aid our brethren so we ask for your continued support and prayers.

    We hope that you will enjoy reading some stories and informative articles from our Mexican and Spanish-speaking brothers and sisters, and that you will also remember them in your prayers. JazakumAllahu khaiyran.

  • My Advice to New Muslims

    My Advice to New Muslims

    Oftentimes when a person embraces Islam, he or she is unsure of what steps to take next. After much effort to arrive at the decision to proclaim the shahadah, the testimony of faith, with conviction and sincerity, their journey continues. Knowing where to go from there can help a new Muslim steer clear of hardships and misguidance. I am a Latino convert of over twenty years who has had a chance to study Islam and Arabic in the US and Saudi Arabia. In this article, I offer my advice to new Muslims.

    Learn About Allah

    The science which deals with this is called al-tawhid, which means “to single out Allah in worship”. Actually, al-tawhid is classified into three categories – tawhid al-rub?b?yah (singling out Allah in His Lorship), tawhid al-asm?’ wa al-sif?t (singling out Allah in His Names and Characteristics), and tawhid al-uluh?yah (singling out Allah in worship).

    Getting to know Allah is very important. Having newly entered Islam, one might still have a lot of misunderstandings about his/her Lord. In Islam, we recognize that our original state of being is one of not having knowledge, and Allah sent prophets to us to teach us about Allah and the correct way to worship Him. Allah says “We have sent to every nation a messenger (saying) “Worship Allah and avoid worship of other than Allah.” This knowledge is the most important thing a Muslim can learn and the first obligation upon him/her. One should be continually learning, recognizing, purifying, and acting upon tawhid.

    The first words uttered to enter Islam – “L? il?ha illa All?h” – are related to al-tawhid. These words are in fact a statement confirming al-tawhid. They should also be the last words a Muslim says just before he/she dies. That being the case, we can say that al-tawhid should also be the last matter in life.

    Learn the Qur’an

    Allah sent the Qur’an to us as a guide to live by, to judge by it, to recite it, to use it as a cure, to learn and teach it, to reflect upon its words, and to make it the center of our lives. Indeed, the Qur’an is one of the greatest miracles. We should spend time learning how to recite it in its original language. We should read its translation in the language we are most fluent and comfortable with. We should also invest time in our lives to familiarize ourselves with its verses. Indeed, every single verse is itself a sign (?yah) from Allah. It is Allah’s Message to us and instructions on how to live our lives and fulfill what Allah wants us to do.

    Start Praying Immediately

    Prayer is an essential part of Islam. The prophet (peace be upon him) said, “The covenant that distinguishes between us and them is the prayer, so whoever abandons it has disbelieved.” (Reported by Ahmad, Al-Nisai, and Al-Tirmidhi).

    Avoid Bad Company

    It is very important for new Muslims to stay away from bad company. Why do I say this? There are many negative and destructive behaviors that some people see as normal or even praiseworthy. Some individuals accept certain actions as being normal or acceptable; for example, dating and premarital sex, unnecessary intermixing of the genders, drinking alcohol and going to nightclubs, etc. These people have not yet understood the importance of living a pious life or felt the impact of establishing regular prayer. They may not even accept the existence of a Creator. This type of bad company might divert you – intentionally or unintentionally – from your new chosen life. They are not upon the correct path; so how can you expect them to aid you on the path that you have already chosen and recognized to be the one and only truth?

    Attend the Masjid Regularly/Get Involved

    Islam is a religion in which community is very important. Prayers are preformed in congregation five times a day. Males should try to make a great effort to attend all of these five prayers or as many as he can in the masjid if there is no difficulty in him doing this. Women are certainly allowed to pray in the masjid, but are encouraged to pray at home when children or other home matters demand attention. I would also suggest getting involved in whatever capacity you can at the local masjid.

    Learn Arabic

    Arabic is the language of Islam since the revelation was revealed through this language. Arabic is a universal language and is spoken by believers all around the world. The more we understand Arabic, the better we can understand the Qur’an.

    I would suggest learning as much of the Arabic language as possible. Focus on the correct recitation of the words, and on understanding their meaning.

    Additionally, one should not make it a stumbling block to learning or practicing the religion. At times, Muslims get diverted from other matters and may not even pray or memorize the Qur’an with the excuse that he/she has not mastered Arabic yet. Not knowing enough Arabic should never be used as an excuse for one to fall short in other areas.

    Learn the Seerah

    Muslims should learn about the Prophet Muhammad’s (peace be upon him) life. Seerah is the science which teaches about the life of the Prophet Muhammad. We should learn about his life and take lessons from it. We should also learn how he dealt with situations and try our best to model our lives according to his life. Indeed, Allah said, “You have in the Messenger of Allah the best example.” All of our actions in life should accord with his Sunnah (way of life, instruction, actions, and tacit approval).

    Learn About he Early Muslims

    There are often times where Muslims differ on issues related to the religion. Sometimes these differences are legitimate, and sometimes they are not. Allah says, “If you differ in anything, bring it back to Allah and his Messenger.” This means that we should resolve our problems by going back to Allah’s Qur’an, and in our times since the Messenger is not alive, we should go back to his Sunnah. However, there may still exist some differences of opinion on the interpretation of the Qur’an and Sunnah. Therefore, we should rely on the interpretation of the early Muslims, namely the Prophet’s Companions, their followers, and the followers of the followers. By this we can get the best and most accurate interpretation of Islam.

    If these early generations of Islam had a consensus on a particular matter, then it is not permitted to differ in that matter. If they differed on something, then the varying viewpoints are acceptable. We should never rely on our own opinion on things that have already been established or make it an issue of disunity among the Muslims.

  • The Missing Peace

    The Missing Peace

    My path towards Islam has taken many twists and turns throughout Latin America and here in the USA, where I finally became a Muslim. My parents are from Chile. They were political refugees exiled to Mexico because they were Socialists. In the 70s, to be a Socialist in Latin America was synonymous with being a rebel. Having political views that were left-leaning was very dangerous at that time. In 1973, a military coup d’état in Chile resulted in years of brutal political repression. My father was imprisoned and tortured before being exiled. A few months later he met my mother, who was also a Chilean political refugee. In 1976, I was born in Mexico City. My parents, my sister and I lived as a relatively happy, typical Mexican middle class family except for one thing: my parents were agnostic. To not be Catholic in Mexico was almost unthinkable.

    In 1989, when democracy was reinstated in Chile, my parents decided to return. I was a 12-year-old boy. Chile is a small country, dominated by one of the most conservative churches in the world. Like in Mexico, I grew up surrounded by Catholic messages over the radio, on television, and in the streets. In my own innocent way, I always liked the idea of God, of one God, but that was not what people believed. How could a boy from an agnostic family firmly believe in God? In my house that topic was never a theme of conversation. “Religion is the opium of the masses,” my father used to say. Over the years, my desire for a spiritual connection continued to increase.

    As a teenager, I was exposed to Capoeira (a Brazilian dance/martial art form) during a family vacation to Brazil. In Chile, I began taking Capoeira classes which helped to fill the void of my lacking spirituality. In 2000, I was accepted to the school of business in Chile and I studied Capoeira every day. My life became busy, “too busy” for religion.

    In 2003, I met my wife, a beautiful American woman who was teaching English in Santiago, Chile. She came from a Catholic family and thus, I came closer to the religion. In 2005, I moved to the USA and in 2006 we married in a Catholic Church in Richmond, Virginia. In 2008, I opened my own studio to teach different styles of martial arts, fitness and dance. That same year my first daughter, Priya, was born and in 2010 I became a home owner. In a period of only five years I had achieved the “American dream”, things that some people do not achieve in their entire life. But something was still missing.

    2012 was one of the hardest times in my life. My arrogance led me to tear my patella tendon which took almost a full year to recover. That same year my second daughter, Mireya, was born. In 2013, I began my spiritual-religious search. I started investigating the Yoruba religion, Santeria, but I did not feel identified with it.

    In December of 2014, I spent Christmas with my family in Chile. After Christmas dinner I went to my room to sleep, but stayed awake just sitting on my bed. Memories of my adolescence and my youth came to me and I began to cry. I cried a lot. I can’t remember for how long, maybe for five or 10 minutes, but I remember putting my knees on the floor and my arms in a supplication position. And I stayed there, asking, really asking, for God to guide me and help me to come closer to Him. After that, I turned on the TV and it was showing a program about the life of Jesus. A lot of questions came to mind like, “Is he God”? Then I googled the word “Jesus” and somehow landed on a page discussing Jesus and Islam. Then I researched the words “Islam” and “Prophet Muhammad.” By the end, I didn’t sleep until 5 or 6 am.

    Around 11am, I woke up. My mother said I must have been tired because of how much I had slept. I told her then that I wanted to become a Muslim but she didn’t believe me. When I arrived in America again, I called a Muslim friend to see if he could take me to a mosque. There, I felt so much peace and harmony within myself. Then another friend, who is from Turkey, helped me to take my Shahada, the testimony of faith. I also met a Gambian brother, a student at my studio, who helped me visit different mosques and meet with some imams. By Ramadan time, I realized that I was surrounded by a nice community of brothers to help me in my journey.

    My wife has been a tremendous support to me. We have been married for 10 years now. I consider myself an impulsive person and I used to get angry with her for insignificant things. But now I try to remember this hadith: “The strong person is not the good wrestler. Rather, the strong person is the one who controls himself when he is angry.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Book 73, #135)

  • The Qur’an Opened My Heart

    The Qur’an Opened My Heart

    My name is Margarita Aguirre and I am from the city of Guadalajara in Jalisco, Mexico. I was born in the midst of a practicing Catholic family. I remember that while I was in high school, I had my first encounter with Islam without realizing it. On our school’s bulletin board, they displayed a “poem” that caught my attention. I remember jotting it down in my favorite poetry journal because I loved it. At the end of the poem, it simply read: “The Qur’an.” I thought that it must have referred to a book of poetry, and so I did not think to look for any more information.

    Years passed and again I came face-to-face with the Qu’ran. In my profession as a teacher, and until now, I have always been passionate about everything that has to do with history. Consequently, it was while I was reading about history that I learned about all the many world religions, including Islam. One day, I planned a lesson dealing with world religions for my students. It was during that particular class that I again found the word, “Qur’an” in the history books. Then I realized that this book was not a book of poetry, but rather a book that Muslims read, similar to the Bible for Christians.

    It was a huge surprise for me, because I used to think that the Bible was God’s only book. I recall that at the end of my work day, I went home and searched for what I had written in my journal all those years ago during high school, and I found it. It was then that I wanted to know more about Islam. That was the most striking incident that occurred which sparked my search for information about Muslims and Islam. In fact I did not have a good concept about Islam but I wanted to explore and understand the religion myself, and I wanted to know why Muslims also had a holy book.

    During my investigation I found an internet page with information about Islam. I really enjoyed reading the articles, and that is how I began learning. The site manager explained a lot about the religion and answered all my questions, dispelling any doubts. I would double check whatever the brother said, just to be certain, until one day I decided to download a copy of the Qur’an.

    In the beginning, this Qur’an contained a biography of the Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him, and it impressed me. I finally learned firsthand about the person who had established the Islamic teachings. When I began reading the verses of the Qur’an, my heart recognized that they were God’s words; that I was reading the very words of Allah.

    I felt so moved that I could no longer resist the truth that my heart had acknowledged. This beautiful religion that has changed my life is a fountain of wellbeing and joy for the heart. God, in His divine wisdom has left us with all the knowledge we need in the Holy Qur’an and in the Sunnah of our Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon him. More importantly is that it was in this religion that I finally understood God’s Oneness, and I learned how to love Him alone. I felt complete and I understood so many things. Islam perfected my soul and my feelings, and all my doubts were resolved, Alhamdulillah. And as Allah tells us in the Qur’an, “This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allah,” (Qur’an, 2:2).

    My first Ramadan was about total surrender to God. I was very excited; it had only been two months since my conversion. I had declared my testimony of faith long distance with a Moroccan brother, because I did not know a single Muslim in Mexico. Later I searched for an Islamic community in my city, and to my surprise, I found other Muslims in Guadalajara. Until that time I had thought that I was the only one in Mexico! I was able to say the Shahada again with my Muslim sisters in the mosque. Alhamdulillah, it was a wonderful Ramadan for me, as I observed the fast, and not only did I leave food and drink during the prescribed times, but I also abstained from everything that was harmful to the soul, such as bad manners and evil actions.

    I give thanks to God for having guided me to Islam as my religion and way of life, for I have never been happier, alhamdulillah.

  • A New Translation of the Holy Qur’an in the Spanish Language

    A New Translation of the Holy Qur’an in the Spanish Language

    There was an interest in me that was awakened in translating the Holy Qur’an that was not so much devoted to imitating the style of the original in Arabic or in copying the literary style of the original, but rather in transmitting in the correct and most direct way all of the meanings, both profound and spiritual, as well as describing the whole approach of it all, that I had understood when reading and studying it in its original language. –Isa García.

    A Little History

    When I embraced Islam and accepted it as my way of life, I was thirsty for knowledge. I wanted to learn as much as possible about the primary source of knowledge, the divine revelation: the Holy Qur’an. I knew from the beginning that the Qur’an was revealed in Arabic, and that this text was the original; that it had been preserved and safeguarded intact for more than 14 centuries. But since I did not know Arabic, I had to refer to the various Spanish translations that were available.

    What I found disappointed me, because many times the text was confusing and incoherent. I understood that the reason for this was due to two factors. The first was that many of these translations were done by people who did not have the necessary knowledge about Islam, its message, and its history. Because of this, certain concepts were misinterpreted and erroneous. In some cases, there were premeditated attempts to discredit Islam and its holy book by altering the meanings.

    Furthermore, most of the translations are too literal, imitating the Arabic style not only in the expressions used but also in the word order. The result was that the normal grammar and syntax used in the Spanish language were not utilized, resulting in confusing translations. Add to this the fact that the language used is archaic and almost foreign, in a style that is seldom used in Latin America. Also, most of these translations do not have clarifying notes regarding historical and legal contexts.

    Later on, when I had the opportunity to study the Arabic language and I began accessing the meanings of the Holy Qur’an in its original language, I understood that I had lost much of the meanings and contexts through the translations I had read. It is a fact, however, that there are no translations that can approximate the beautiful narrative and the poetic rhetoric of the Qur’an, nor can any translation reproduce its eloquence or the multiple ways in which it can be recited. It is also true that the translations, some more than others, fail to convey to the reader the real essence of the Quranic message.

    This awoke in me an interest in translating the Holy Qur’an that was not so much devoted to imitating the style of the original in Arabic or in copying the literary style of the original, but rather in transmitting in the correct and most direct way all of the meanings, both profound and spiritual, as well as describing the whole approach of it all, that I had understood when reading and studying it in its original language.

    Alhamdulillah, I could finally embark on making a translation of the Holy Qur’an for the benefit of the Spanish-speaking world, but mostly for the benefit of Latin America. Along with a team of experts, I have tried to provide Muslims and non-Muslims with the message of Islam in the closest possible form to the original revelation in Arabic, but at the same time using language that is simple and plain, and also using explanatory notes for certain terms so that the content of the text is easy to understand.

    Current Trends

    While Islam still is not one of the major religions with a large number of followers in Latin America, it is growing rapidly throughout the continent. There are now mosques in all of the major cities in Latin America and conversion to Islam is also a growing phenomenon among the Hispanic populations of the United States.

    The fact that the media projects a bad image of Islam and Muslims, having a translation of the Qur’an in the Spanish language that transmits its message in a direct and simple way has become urgent and of the utmost importance for two reasons:

    Firstly, for those Muslims who do not know the Arabic language, they need to read the meanings of the Qur’an in their language to understand and better practice their religion. In this way, they can be good examples of what it is to be a Muslim.

    Secondly, for those non-Muslims who desire to learn about Islam, they need a reliable source of information. This will let them form their own opinions based on what the Qur’an actually teaches and not on stereotypes and erroneous ideas that have lasted for centuries in many of the works by Orientalists and in some of the translations of the Qur’an.

    From there, the objective of this translation is to present to Spanish-speakers the real message of the Qur’an, how it was known, understood, and practiced by the scholars of Islam and by the devout Muslims for more than 1,400 years. The translation is based on clear and simple language with a direct and contemporary message with the Latin American public in mind.

    Distribution of Printed and Digital Versions

    The goal of this translation is free distribution so that in this way it can be available to the maximum number of people possible.

    To achieve this goal, it has been distributed in a digital version in PDF. It has been added to various programs on multiple platforms. It will soon come out in its own unique reading and audio format.

    Also, many were printed for the free distribution to the public. The first edition included 50,000 pocket-sized books for free distribution during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.

    Also, 100,000 copies were printed in Qatar to be distributed throughout the world. In Latin America, in particular, many small printings have been made in Bolivia, Colombia, Guatemala, and Mexico. In Spain, the distribution has begun for a project that has already printed 10,000 copies.